The objective, open loop, handling qualities of heavy vehicles are most important for driving safety and active traffic safety. The driver's perception of the vehicle behaviour and of the driver-vehicle interface is just as important. It is therefore essential to acquire full knowledge and understanding about how various objective handling parameters correlate with the driver's perception, especially as new advanced steering and suspension systems give the possibility to modify the handling characteristics in a much wider range. The only realistic way to carry out a study where many and large variations of the handling properties are to be investigated, is to use a driving simulator. Therefore an existing truck simulator with a large moving base was used in this project. Some of the results from this study are very distinct, while others concerned with the steering system and on-centre stability are more ambiguous. One important result is that the repeatability of the judgements varies among the drivers and has to be considered. The methodology and the use of a driving simulator for investigation of handling parameters are promising and will be used for further research in specific areas.
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